The new energy label and the Green Public Procurement

Under different national laws, public bodies can decide to purchase only the most energy efficient products within their Green Public Procurement strategies (“green purchases”). Furthermore, even if in the future no obligations to be respected for the award of public tenders will be established, “green purchases” could become rewarding and complementary criteria in their assignment. That highlights how, within the European Public Procurement Framework, the Union institutions are evaluating the possibility of contributing to the achievement of the objectives of the Paris Agreement, the Circular Economy Strategy and the Green Deal’s net zero emissions goals, by introducing in the sectoral legislation of all member states of mandatory minimum GPP criteria and objectives (minimum GPP criteria), as well as mandatory reporting for monitoring progress. These minimum GPP criteria could represent an important harmonisation tool. In fact, in this sector, to ensure that the Union’s environmental policy could guarantee the protection of competition, especially as regards the need to ensure equal treatment and non-discrimination of potential contractors in the public administration, up to now adherence to European GPP criteria had always been voluntary.